BRAZIL NUTS. 117 



* is not more than two or three feet in diameter, but attains 

 one hundred or one hundred and t^yenty feet in height. It 

 does not resemble the Mammee, the star-apple, and several 

 other trees of the Tropics, of which the branches, as in the 

 laurels of the temperate zone, rise straight toward the 

 sky. The branches of the Berth oUetia are open, very 

 long, almost entirely bare toward the base, and loaded 

 at their summits with tufts of very close foliage. This 

 disposition of the semi-coriaceous leaves, a little silvery 

 beneath and more than two feet long, makes the branches 

 bend down toward the ground, like the fronds of the 

 palm trees." 



" The Capuchin monkeys," he continues, " are singularly 

 fond of these ' chestnuts of Brazil,' and the noise made by 

 the seeds, when the fruit is shaken as it fell from the tree, 

 excites their appetency in the highest degree." He does not. 

 however, believe the " tale, very current on the lowei 

 Oroonoko, that the monkeys place themselves in a circle, and 

 by striking the shell witli a stone succeed in opening it." 

 That they may try is possible enough ; for there is no doubt, 

 I believe, that monkeys at least the South American do 

 use stones to crack nuts ; and I have seen myself a monkey, 

 untaught, use a stick to rake his food up to him when put 

 beyond the reach of his chain. The impossibility in this case 

 would lie, not in want of wits, but want of strength ; and the 



